IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v36y2004i10p1737-1753.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Geographical Economics versus Economic Geography: Towards a Clarification of the Dispute

Author

Listed:
  • Caterina Marchionni

    (Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Geographical economics is a recent approach in economics aiming at introducing the ‘role of space’ into the mainstream of the discipline. Though interested in similar issues, economic geographers strongly criticise geographical economics. This paper puts such criticisms under scrutiny, taking Ron Martin's 1999 influential contribution as representative. A philosophically informed analysis of these criticisms brings forth possible misunderstandings in the dispute and hence assists both parties by making criticism and responses more incisive. If, as it seems at least in some geographers’ view, economic geographers are concerned with mechanisms and processes different from the abstract general economic mechanisms analysed by geographical economists, then complementarity between the two approaches turns out to be a possibility. This challenges both economic geographers and geographical economists because it asks them to go beyond methodological differences and establish whether the general and abstract mechanisms identified by the latter are compatible with those identified by the former. If so, further investigation on how they combine as to bring about real-world agglomeration is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Caterina Marchionni, 2004. "Geographical Economics versus Economic Geography: Towards a Clarification of the Dispute," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1737-1753, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:36:y:2004:i:10:p:1737-1753
    DOI: 10.1068/a36305
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a36305
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a36305?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ann Markusen, 2003. "Fuzzy Concepts, Scanty Evidence, Policy Distance: The Case for Rigour and Policy Relevance in Critical Regional Studies," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 701-717.
    2. Venables, Anthony J, 1996. "Equilibrium Locations of Vertically Linked Industries," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 37(2), pages 341-359, May.
    3. Stephen J. Meardon, 2002. "On the new economic geography and the progress of geographical economics," Chapters, in: Stephan Boehm & Christian Gehrke & Heinz D. Kurz & Richard Sturn (ed.), Is There Progress in Economics?, chapter 13, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2003. "Deconstructing clusters: chaotic concept or policy panacea?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 5-35, January.
    5. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 1996. "Paul Krugman's Geographical Economics and Its Implications for Regional Development Theory: A Critical Assessment," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(3), pages 259-292, July.
    6. Stephan Boehm & Christian Gehrke & Heinz D. Kurz & Richard Sturn (ed.), 2002. "Is There Progress in Economics?," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2403.
    7. Peter Sunley, 2001. "What's behind the models? A review of The Spatial Economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 136-139, January.
    8. Eric Sheppard, 2001. "How `economists' think: about geography, for example," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 131-136, January.
    9. Paul Plummer, 2003. "Modelling Economic Landscapes: A Geographical Perspective," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 687-695.
    10. Uskali Mäki, 2004. "Realism and the Nature of Theory: A Lesson from J H von Thünen for Economists and Geographers," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1719-1736, October.
    11. Uskali Mäki & Päivi Oinas, 2004. "The Narrow Notion of Realism in Human Geography," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1755-1776, October.
    12. Baldwin, Richard E & Forslid, Rikard, 2000. "The Core-Periphery Model and Endogenous Growth: Stabilizing and Destabilizing Integration," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 67(267), pages 307-324, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Caterina Marchionni, 2006. "Contrastive explanation and unrealistic models: The case of the new economic geography," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 425-446.
    2. Uskali Mäki, 2004. "Realism and the Nature of Theory: A Lesson from J H von Thünen for Economists and Geographers," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1719-1736, October.
    3. Rahman, Jasmeen & Dimand, Robert W., 2021. "The Emergence Of Geographical Economics: At The Contested Boundaries Of Economics, Geography, And Regional Science," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 241-261, June.
    4. Ron A. Boschma & Koen Frenken, 2006. "Why is economic geography not an evolutionary science? Towards an evolutionary economic geography," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(3), pages 273-302, June.
    5. Juste Raimbault, 2020. "Indirect evidence of network effects in a system of cities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(1), pages 138-155, January.
    6. Uskali Mäki & Päivi Oinas, 2004. "The Narrow Notion of Realism in Human Geography," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1755-1776, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin Korpi, 2008. "Does size of local labour markets affect wage inequality? a rank-size rule of income distribution," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 211-237, March.
    2. Henry G. Overman, 2004. "Can we learn anything from economic geography proper?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(5), pages 501-516, November.
    3. Kadokawa, Kazuo, 2011. "Applicability of Marshall’s Agglomeration Theory to Indus-trial Clustering in the Japanese Manufacturing Sector: An Exploratory Factor Analysis Approach," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 41(2), pages 1-18.
    4. Aspers, Patrik & Kohl, Sebastian & Power, Dominic, 2008. "Economic sociology discovering economic geography," economic sociology. perspectives and conversations, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, vol. 9(3), pages 3-16.
    5. Ron Boschma & Ron Martin, 2010. "The Aims and Scope of Evolutionary Economic Geography," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Boiscuvier, Éléonore, 2001. "Innovation, intégration et développement régional," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 77(2), pages 255-280, juin.
    7. Yuan-Chieh Chang & Ming-Huei Chen & Yuan-Po Lin & Yu-Shiang Gao, 2012. "Measuring Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Capabilities," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 3(2), pages 90-108, June.
    8. Ann Markusen & Amy Glasmeier, 2008. "Rejoinder: History, Leadership, Place Prosperity, Rationales, Competitiveness, Outcomes," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 22(2), pages 115-118, May.
    9. Yeung, Henry Wai-chung & Liu, Weidong & Dicken, Peter, 2006. "Transnational corporations and network effects of a local manufacturing cluster in mobile telecommunications equipment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 520-540, March.
    10. Theodore Tsekeris & Klimis Vogiatzoglou, 2014. "Public infrastructure investments and regional specialization: empirical evidence from Greece," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(3), pages 265-289, August.
    11. Alexander Cole, 2007. "Beyond the Knowledge-Based Theory of the Geographic Cluster," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 0708, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2007.
    12. Kim, Ho Yeon, 2012. "Shrinking population and the urban hierarchy," IDE Discussion Papers 360, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    13. Benner, Maximilian, 2009. "What do we know about clusters? In search of effective cluster policies," MPRA Paper 43848, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2009.
    14. Giulio Bottazzi & Ugo M. Gragnolati & Fabio Vanni, 2017. "Non-linear externalities in firm localization," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(8), pages 1138-1150, August.
    15. Johanna Vogel, 2012. "Agglomeration and Growth: Evidence from the Regions of Central and Eastern Europe," ERSA conference papers ersa12p1089, European Regional Science Association.
    16. Heike Mayer, 2013. "Spinoff regions: entrepreneurial emergence and regional development in second-tier high-technology regions – observations from the Oregon and Idaho electronics sectors," Chapters, in: Frank Giarratani & Geoffrey J.D. Hewings & Philip McCann (ed.), Handbook of Industry Studies and Economic Geography, chapter 8, pages 207-229, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Jon Swords, 2013. "Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a local and regional development tool: The rise and fall of cluster policy in the UK," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 28(4), pages 369-383, June.
    18. Sabyasachi Tripathi, 2013. "Do Large Agglomerations Lead To Economic Growth? Evidence From Urban India," Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 176-200, November.
    19. Ronald W. Jones & Henryk Kierzkowski, 2018. "International Trade and Agglomeration: An Alternative Framework," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade Theory and Competitive Models Features, Values, and Criticisms, chapter 16, pages 263-279, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    20. Niebuhr, Annekatrin & Stiller, Silvia, 2002. "Integration Effects in Border Regions - A Survey of Economic Theory and Empirical Studies," Discussion Paper Series 26340, Hamburg Institute of International Economics.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:36:y:2004:i:10:p:1737-1753. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.